Internship Opportunities

Work on environmental education projects for schoolchildren and other groups who visit the Center. Specific duties might include designing curricular materials, teaching classes, or conducting nature walks. The best opportunities are in the fall and spring semesters, when public schools are in session.

The Center has an established internship program in which interns rotate through its various departments (zoo, exhibits, education etc.) and then specialize in the area that interests them most. Internships are usually available only in the summer.

Depending on the needs of the agency, internships can be be arranged in a number of settings, including state parks, the DENR regional office in Winston Salem, which focuses mainly on water quality work, and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science in Raleigh.

Various internship opportunities are available in areas such as public education, organizing local communities to fight environmental problems, and background research for use in lobbying government about environmental problems. The state headquarters office is in Raleigh. Internships are possible during the academic year but are easier to arrange in the summer.

Work with volunteer activists in the local Sierra Club Group on Group projects in areas such as environmental education of the public, nature conservation, recruitment of members and activists, lobbying, and program planning. Specific projects will vary with the needs of the local Group during the time of the internship. Internships are generally possible each semester and in the summer.

The UNCG Sustainability Office is responsible for transforming UNCG into a sustainable campus. Depending on the needs of the Office and the interests of the student, internships might focus on environmental education for students and staff, assisting the staff in preparing sustainability inventories and reports of various kinds, and working with various UNCG departments on projects such as sustainable groundskeeping, developing and promoting recycling programs, and promoting bicycle and mass transit use. Internships are generally possible each semester and in the summer.

Work closely with the environmental librarian at this branch of the Greensboro library, which has a special emphasis on the environment. Tasks might include planning programs and special events concerning the environment and helping with the library's gardening and outdoor education projects to educate children about the outdoors, nature, and gardening.

The Piedmont Land Conservancy works to protect valuable land in Piemont North Carolina by purchasing it or arranging to put it under legal protection from development. Most of the work is of a fairly technical nature, so students with significant course work in geography and biology are most likely to be needed.

Work in a program to teach school children in High Point about gardening and nature by developing school gardens. This internship is only available in the fall and spring semesters and requires the scheduling flexibility to be in the schools eight hours a week at the times when the program staff are working in the schools.

Interns rotate through various divisions in this office, which inspects restaurants, swimming pools, and installation and repair of well and septic systems, and handles toxic spills. An internship here would be good preparation for a career as a North Carolina Registered Environmental Health Specialist, which requires at least 30 hours of science courses.

Work with Park Rangers on a variety of tasks including answering questions from the public, making presentations about nature and military history, removing invasive species, and working on exhibits. This internship is available during regular semesters and the summer, but there are more opportunities in the summer.

The Guilford County Open Space Program

Interns will learn about the functioning of the Open Space Program, which acquires and manages open space for Guilford County. They might be involved in writing stewardship plans for the Open Space Program's nature preserves, assisting with implementation of the stewardship plans (including trail design, signage, and other property improvements), and working on organizing public events, such as volunteer clean-ups and educational field trips, on open space properties.

This firm is a major local recycler of waste fiber, but they also recycle paper, aluminum, and plastics. Environmental Studies interns might work on projects like identifying potential new sources of recyclable materials and sales. This is a good opportunity for students who might want to work in environmentally friendly businesses.

This firm works on helping organizations that are upgrading their heating or cooling systems to get the most out of their new equipment. Their work is not only about the technical/engineering side of things, but also about training employees and designing work systems that will help to make the new equipment work at its highest efficiency. An especially good internship for someone interested in environmentally efficient buildings.

This internship involves working in various tasks related to maintain the purity of Greensboro's water supply. This can include lab testing at the water treatment plant, field visits to test water at houses where prople have complained of poor water quality, and drawing and processing water samples from city reservoirs. Candidates should have significant course work and lab experience in chemistry.

This internship is best suited to someone who want to be an environmental or science writer. The primary duty is gathering necessary information and writing copy for magazine articles, web pages, or press releases about environmental research and other environmental activities at UNCG. This internship is best suited for students whoh have taken writing and/or journalism courses

The League of Conservation Voters (LCV), a non-partisan, non-profit enviromental advocacy organization, offers an internship focused on political organizing. Interns will assist in reaching out to the community to establish what environmental issues citizens are concerned about. LCV also works to put pressure on lawmakers in both political parties to pass sound environmental policies. Tasks for interns may include making phone calls to the community, asking people to sign petitions and letters to lawmakers, and helping to organize events.